Boxing

Andy Ruiz Jr. ain't one to let a little thing like a boxing title change up his dining preferences -- the dude digs authentic Mexican ... even if it means getting it from a hole-in-the-wall joint.

The newly-minted heavyweight champ -- who recently stunned the world by defeating the heavily-favored Anthony Joshua -- was spotted chowing down at a low-key Mexican chain Friday with his girlfriend and the rest of his fam in El Centro, CA ... almost 2 hours east of San Diego.

The restaurant of their choice ... La Resaca -- known for their seafood and with a nearly 5-star rating off a ton of good reviews. It's a modest joint, but it was perfect for Ruiz and co.

You'd think after becoming the toast of the town everywhere he's gone since the upset last weekend, he MIGHT just treat himself to something a bit more swanky in, say, L.A., maybe? Seems like that isn't his style though -- he'll stick to chips and salsa ... and live mariachis.

We gotta say ... it's been a while since we've come across a guy like Andy Jr. here. He certainly doesn't fit the mold for what we've come to expect of a ringside champion but at the same time ... it's refreshing to see homeboy flip the script on everyone and their mom.

Speaking of moms ... happy birthday to Andy's ma, Mrs. Ruiz! We're told they were all out there celebrating her 58th birthday. Never change, ARJ.

Don't call it a comeback, call it a payout -- LL Cool J's coming out swinging for Andy Ruiz Jr., saying if Anthony Joshua wants back the belts, he's gotta pay the guy who took 'em.

We got LL at LAX Friday, and the famous fight fan wasn't just riding the "Pay Ruiz" train ... he was the freakin' conductor!!! We asked him about the new WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight champ demanding $50 MILLION, if the Joshua rematch is held on AJ's turf in the UK.

LL didn't hesitate, telling us ... "He should get more than that. Gotta get every dime you can get, baby!"

Cool J says people gotta stop looking at Ruiz as the relatively unknown guy he was before he shocked the world by upsetting Joshua last weekend in Madison Square Garden.

As LL put it, "He got the belts now and this is the price."

He added you also have to take into account the kinda beating boxers take every time they step in the ring. He gave a shout out to Canadian boxer Adonis Stevenson, who was left in critical condition with a brain injury last year.

That's why LL says, Ruiz is "supposed to charge. They work hard, they risk their lives."

As for who would win the rematch -- LL isn't willing to lay a bet just yet -- but when it comes to a possible Ruiz-Deontay Wilder bout? He's 100% on that one.

Oscar De La Hoya says Canelo Alvarez is gonna wait his sweet ass time before giving GGG a rematch ... but when it does happen, this fight is gonna end in a brutal knockout for Canelo.

The two men have fought twice, and let's face it, nothing's really been resolved. The first fight was an extremely controversial draw, and the second fight was an even more controversial win for Canelo.

GGG wants the 3rd act really badly ... but when we ran into Oscar recently he told us to tell Golovkin not to hold his breath.

"We'll make him wait. We'll see. He's the B fighter now. Canelo's the A fighter."

We, of course, asked what Oscar thought would happen in the next fight, whenever it does happen, and he couldn't have been clearer.

"I think Canelo will knock him out."

Maybe he would ... but will it matter if both men are in retirement homes by the time it happens?

We also talked to GGG -- who's fighting Steve Rolls Saturday night on DAZN -- and no surprise, he ain't into waiting for the trilogy fight.

OSCAR, MAKE THE FIGHT!!!

Anthony Joshua has zero recollection of the disastrous 3rd rd. of his Andy Ruiz fight ... where he was pummeled and knocked down twice -- this according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua was a massive favorite in the fight against Ruiz ... but was stopped in the 7th round in one of the most shocking upsets in boxing history.

Hearn sat down on DAZN and opened up about the fight and revealed Joshua legit doesn't recall the beatdown he took in the 3rd round.

"He doesn't remember anything really from the 3rd round. In fact, he's taken a little positivity that he managed to go 4 rounds after that because he says, 'ya know, my senses weren't there."

Eddie also laid any speculation to rest that the 7th round stoppage was bad ... saying he not only agreed with it, but was relieved by the ref's decision.

"100% right stoppage. If you actually watch it back, we were watching it last night, and Anthony says 'yes,' and goes to walk forward, and the ref just nudges him and he goes back on the ropes, and then the ref stops it, and I'm actually glad he did cause Anthony would've kept going all night."

AJ's loss threw heavyweight division into a tailspin ... and Hearn has activated the mandatory rematch clause -- although no date has been set.

One of the biggest upsets in boxing history just went down when Andy Ruiz Jr. beat Anthony Joshua ... and Steve Rolls says he's about to follow suit ... telling TMZ Sports he's gonna beat GGG!!

Gennady Golovkin is coming off his first career loss at the hands of Canelo Alvarez ... and is a MASSIVE favorite in this weekend's fight at MSG ... but Rolls says he's gonna hand him a second-straight L.

"As soon as I got the call for this fight and I accepted this fight, had every intention in the world to do what happened last week in that fight this fight coming up," Rolls says.

Rolls is definitely no scrub -- he's undefeated at 19-0 and won the vacant USBA middleweight title in his last fight in December.

"I look forward to shocking the world once again ... I think it will be one of the greatest upsets in boxing history."

"Joshua, I think he's a broken man. Mentally, he's done."

That's Deontay Wilder saying Andy Ruiz didn't just beat Anthony Joshua in the ring ... he crushed the man's soul.

Wilder touched down at LAX on Wednesday night and couldn't wait to GO IN on his heavyweight rival -- explaining why Ruiz exposed AJ as a weak-minded fighter who can't hang with the best.

"When you perform that way as a champion??? He gave up!! He quit!!!!"

Of course, Ruiz -- a heavy underdog -- beat the snot out of Joshua at Madison Square Garden on Saturday ... taking all 4 of Joshua's championship belts in the process.

Now, with reports that Joshua has exercised his rematch clause to fight Ruiz again -- Wilder thinks it won't actually happen because Anthony KNOWS he'll lose.

Wilder also thinks Joshua is HAPPY he lost the fight because now there's no more pressure on him to be perfect.

Oh, and get this ... Wilder also explains why his own violent performance against Dominic Breazeale just 2 weeks before the Joshua fight may have messed with AJ's head.

As for Ruiz, he told TMZ Sports he wants a crack at Deontay -- and it seems Wilder is down to give him that shot ... but first, DW has scheduled fights with Luis Ortiz and Tyson Fury.

It's like a scene out of a 'Terminator' flick ... doctors peeling back the skin on Anthony Smith's broken hand to show the metal rod holding the UFC star's bones together!!!

... and it's NASTY!!!

Yes, this is the ultimate "inside look" at Smith's injury -- taken during surgery Wednesday on his left hand.

As we previously reported, Smith fractured a bone in his hand while punching Alexander Gustafsson in the head over the weekend during their UFC Fight Night main event.

Despite suffering the injury in the 2nd-round, Smith continued fighting and ultimately choked Gustaffson out for the victory in the 4th.

Smith told us he could feel his hand swelling up inside of his glove -- but tried to focus on a camping trip he had planned after the fight ... and it ultimately inspired him to win.

Oh, and he was dead serious about the camping thing -- we're told Smith has a trip planned out for the weekend!

Logan Paul's asking nicely -- please don't show up to his house unannounced ... UNLESS you're there to get the hell beat out of you, because that's great for YouTube views.

We got LP outside Beauty & Essex restaurant in Hollywood Tuesday night, shortly after we broke the story ... a man showed up at his Encino home uninvited 2 days in a row, forcing Logan to call the cops and file a trespassing report.

Logan tells us it's not an unusual occurrence, but he'd like it to stop ... because, believe it or not, he actually values his privacy.

HOWEVER, Logan concedes that sometimes dudes showing up at his pad is totally cool ... if they have a gimmick and are down to get in the ring with him and get knocked out.

Case in point -- last week when fellow YouTuber ViktorCrazy camped out outside his gate dressed as Ivan Drago and demanded a boxing bout ... he got promptly whooped. Logan says that video was the best vlog he's had in a while.

So, there ya go clout chasers ... if you really want to walk the line of trespassing to take a chance at meeting Logan at his home, just have a game plan and be ready to get your ass kicked.

The reason Khabib Nurmagomedov agreed to fight Dustin Poirier in Sept. instead of a rematch with Conor McGregor is simple ... "McGregor didn't beg enough."

... this according to Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

Of course, the REAL reason is that Khabib vs. Dustin is for the unified UFC lightweight title -- which was a huge priority to Dana White -- but hey, who doesn't love a little smack talk?!

So, when will the Khabib vs. Conor fight actually happen? Maybe never.

Ali says he doesn't believe McGregor ever wants to fight again -- saying Conor's more concerned with being an "Instagram model" these days than fighting for a UFC title.

Ali also says the UFC is stacked with talent -- from Khabib to Tony Ferguson to Poirier -- and they don't need Conor anymore.

So, if Conor really does want a second crack at Khabib, what needs to happen?

"Get maybe 2 or 3 wins," Ali says ... "Then get on his knees and beg!"

Andy Ruiz says he's ready to do something Anthony Joshua wouldn't do -- actually make a fight with Deontay Wilder ... telling TMZ Sports, "That's what we're aiming for!"

Oh, and Ruiz also says THE DRAKE CURSE IS REAL!!!!

The heavyweight boxing champ was leaving "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday when we asked about a potential fight with The Bronze Bomber ... and Ruiz told us he's all the way down!!

"But, first things first," Ruiz said ... "I gotta get Joshua."

Ruiz is referring to the rematch clause which was included in his original fight contract with Anthony Joshua. AJ has already triggered the clause and the rematch is expected to go down later this year.

But, after that, Ruiz says he's all about Deontay -- the reigning WBC heavyweight champ.

FYI, Wilder praised Ruiz after upsetting Joshua over the weekend -- saying, "You’ve been blessed to come out of the struggle and to become the 1st Mexican Heavyweight Champion Ever!"

"P.S It’s all up to you in what you do with this huge opportunity."

As for Drake, Joshua famously posed with the rapper before the Ruiz fight -- and then lost -- reinforcing the belief that Drake curses athletes!

So, when we asked Ruiz about it, he told us bluntly, "Don't even bring Drake around me!"

HA!

There's more ... Ruiz also talked about his diet, workout routine and that epic post-victory meal after the Joshua fight -- which sounds AWESOME!!

Congrats to the champ!!!

Errol Spence Jr. is arguably the lb.-for-lb. BADDEST dude in boxing ... but Shawn Porter ain't scared, telling TMZ Sports he's gonna beat Errol up and take his belt!!!

Porter -- the WBC welterweight champion -- joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (weeknights on FS1) ... and called out Spence -- the undefeated IBF welterweight champ.

"We can talk about Errol Spence being the boogeyman. I don't mind. We can talk about Errol Spence being the most dangerous man in the division. I don't mind."

"He can have all those titles. He can have the IBF title. I'm the WBC champion. And, all it is is a matter of time before I take that title from him."

The 2 champs have been going at it for months ... after Porter beat Danny Garcia in September 2018, Spence confronted SP and declared himself the best 147-pounder in the world.

Fast-forward to March ... Shawn and Errol got into it live on television.

Bottom line, these guys have been teasin' this fight forever ... and Shawn says he's done with the talking.

"Everything is lined up. Everything is ready. We've been presented some contracts. We put our signatures on those contracts, and now we're waiting to hear from his side."

"Jon Jones who? Cormier who? Conor McGregor who?" ... Henry Cejudo tells TMZ Sports he's the "greatest combat athlete of all-time."

Yes, you heard right ... Henry says he's the best ever.

The UFC's Flyweight champ (125 lbs.) came through the TMZ office days before his UFC 238 fight against Marlon Moraes -- where Cejudo's fighting for the Bantamweight title (135 lbs.) -- and entry into the exclusive champ-champ club.

For Cejudo ... it comes down to personal accomplishments -- and he believes there ain't a man or woman on Earth with a better resume.

"I feel like I'm the greatest combat athlete of all-time, and the credentials speak for itself," Henry tells us.

"Who's won Olympic gold medal? Who's won a flyweight title? Who's gonna fight for a second belt? Nobody. It's me."

FYI -- HC won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

It's not just a second belt he's after ... Henry also wants to be #1 on the UFC top pound-for-pound list -- where he's currently ranked 4th.

George Foreman says Anthony Joshua can be champion again ... and he's offering to help the former undefeated fighter, telling TMZ Sports, "He needs someone like me."

Joshua lost via TKO at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr. at MSG Saturday night ... in one of the most shocking boxing upsets of all-time.

The loss made a lot of people question Joshua's greatness ... and whether he's truly elite.

Not former 2x heavyweight champ George Foreman ... who actually believes the loss could HELP the UK superstar become an even better fighter.

"They're gonna have to go back to the gym. I think he'll be a greater fighter, Joshua now. If he goes back and gets his mind together. He's gonna even be better, but right now he better learn to box and he better get a good manager. I'll do it."

We asked Foreman if he was serious about the offer ... and his response?

"That's certain. He needs someone like me."

If Foreman was steering AJ's career, there's 1 bigtime move he'd make straight away -- NO REMATCH.

"If I'm Anthony Joshua's manager, I say, 'let sleeping dogs lie.' I don't want to fight that guy anymore, because you don't know what you did wrong. You go back and you're gonna do the same thing. Let it slide" ... Foreman tells us.

"Leave Ruiz alone. Let him alone."

So, does the loss take Joshua out of the conversation with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury for best heavyweight in the world? Foreman's answer ... 6 emphatic "no's".

"No. No, no, no, no, no."

"One punch, uh huh. One punch is not gonna change that, or one knockdown is not gonna change that. He'll be back. He's in the mix. And, probably he'll be better."

Andy Ruiz will be known for WAY MORE than just beating Anthony Joshua ... so says Oscar De La Hoya, who tells TMZ Sports AR is going to have a long run as champ!!!

"Imagine all the confidence he has now," De La Hoya says.

Ruiz shocked the world on Saturday night when he knocked down Joshua FOUR times and made the heavyweight champ quit in the 7th-round.

But, some have already pegged Ruiz as the next Buster Douglas -- as in a 1-fight wonder ... and not the next big thing in boxing.

Enter De La Hoya ... who told us out at his foundation's 19th annual Golf Classic on Monday that he sees things way differently, saying Ruiz will put together a nice run as the new champ from here.

"Ruiz is the man, now, man," De La Hoya says ... "He's the man."

Of course, the Golden Boy is biased -- he has Mexican bloodlines and tells us he was rooting like hell for Ruiz in the fight!!!

Buster Douglas -- the man who SHOCKED the world and beat Mike Tyson -- tells TMZ Sports ... Andy Ruiz's TKO of Anthony Joshua is one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Bigger than his 1990 upset of undefeated heavyweight champ "Iron" Mike?? Buster -- a 42-1 underdog when he KO'd Tyson in the 10th round -- wouldn't pick which was bigger ... but was clear, this fight was historic.

"I think it was a great fight, man. It was a big upset. An upset is an upset. Ruiz came to fight, Andy came to get it and he got it."

"Despite all the obstacles that were laying there in front of him that were against him, that he had no chance of winning, and he went out there and did the impossible."

Let that sink in ... Buster Douglas -- the guy responsible for arguably the most shocking upset in sports history -- says Ruiz did the impossible when he stopped Joshua in the 7th round.

Douglas says he actually sees a lot of similarities between him and Ruiz.

"The man believed in what he was doing. He believed in himself despite all the naysayers," Douglas tells us ... "It's a lot of similarities there. I'm just happy for him, and wish him all the best."

Leading up to the fight, Ruiz was a heavy underdog against the unbeaten Joshua ... and seemingly nobody believed he had a chance in hell to win the fight -- a feeling Douglas vividly remembers.

"It definitely takes me back. It's like I kinda relate to what they're going through, the emotion that they're feeling going into the fight. 'I'mma show them tonight!'"

Buster says he was so PUMPED when Ruiz won ... "I felt like running!"

"That's awesome, man. It was great to see that. Takes you right back to that moment that you had yourself."

Anthony Joshua's gotta be kicking himself Sunday morning after losing in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history -- and he's got no one to blame but himself ... and possibly Drake.

AJ lost his 3 heavyweight titles in Madison Square Garden Saturday night to Andy Ruiz Jr. -- who was an 11-1 underdog -- by TKO in the 7th round. It's being called the biggest upset since Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas in 1990 ... but we all should've seen it coming when Joshua cozied up to Drake.

Back in March, the then WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champ posted a pic with Drizzy, and even went so far as to say he was going to “break the curse” on June 1. Oops.

Drake's got a pretty extensive track record of jinxing teams -- just ask Alabama football, Italy's Roma soccer team, Conor McGregor and Serena Williams.

He's even mocked the curse lately -- wearing Philadelphia 76ers shorts to jinx that team last month when they were playing his beloved Toronto Raptors ... and it worked.